Ask the HR Experts – New residence management system

Q1) I heard that Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act is going to change in this year. How does it change and when will new Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act start?

A1) The way of information management of foreign people living Japan is going to change by revision of Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act.

The Immigration Bureau manages Visa, name, birth date, and so on and municipality managed name, birth date, address, and other information separately for foreign people’s information management. Therefore even though foreign people updated their visa, they cannot update their certificate of alien registration if they don’t submit to municipality, then it is going to mention “over stay” on certificate of alien registration. Seal of verification on passport and certificate of alien registration are not same.

The new information management method is called “residence management system” and certificate of alien registration is going to become residence card except foreign people having visa for short term, so that foreign people’s information management becomes accurate, continuous, and easy to understand by this revision. Residence management system is going to start after July 9, they don’t have to change Residence card immediately. Actually, foreign people who came to Japan after July 9 get Residence card. Foreign people who already live in Japan get Residence card when they update or change their residence certification. So please keep your certificate of alien registration.

“Residence management system” is going to start following four systems.

1. Giving “Residence card”: Foreign people get Residence card except foreign people having visa for short term and special conditions.

2. Maximum 5 years residence term: Residence term of Visa mainly for 1 year and 3 years adds 5 years.

3. Re-entry admitting system: After foreign people left Japan and come back Japan in an year, they don’t need permission of re-entry.

4. Abolition of certificate of alien registration system: Foreign people submit their address to municipality, and other information to the Immigration Bureau.

A2) They submit their address to municipality when they defined their address first time or changed their address, and other information to the Immigration Bureau.

Foreign people’s information management is not going to be both the Immigration Bureau and municipality, one part of their information is going to be submitted to municipality and other information is going to be submitted to the Immigration Bureau. Specifically, information in certificate of alien registration is required to submit to municipality in the old method, however foreign people submit their address only to municipality when they defined their address first time or changed their address, and other all information to the Immigration Bureau in the new method. (On the other hand, you cannot change address at the Immigration Bureau.)

Also, “job-change and leaving job” and “divorce and bereavement with Japanese partner” are important to submit.

If they don’t need to change status of working visa even though they change their job, they don’t need to report their job description after changing job when they update their visa so far. (They need to apply discretion by Certificate of Qualification for Employment.) Also foreign people having marriage visa are same when they divorced with Japanese partner.

However, next time, “working” and “being married” are going to be important for visa, so they need to submit to the Immigration Bureau when they left their job or divorced. This submitting is for managing foreign people’s information accurately, so “revocation of residence” system (their working visa gets cancelled if 3 months past from leaving job to get job for working visa and 6 months past after they get divorced for marriage visa. (Marriage visa is after July.)) is going to be more strict.

The answer above is just general answer, so it’s not official answer from administration and judicial ruling. Answer provided by Shuji Akiyama, Incensed social insurance consultant/notary public, ACROSEED GROUP